Method of locating and holding metal members in place



July 20, 1954 R, MARQNEK 2,683,927

METHOD OF LOCATING AND HOLDING METAL MEMBERS IN PLACE Filed Sept. 11,1950 INVENTOR. Frank RMaranek ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 20, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE METHOD OF LOCATINGAND HOLDING METAL MEMBERS IN PLACE Frank R. Maronek, Milwaukee, Wis,assignor to A. O. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation ofNew York Application September 11, 1950, Serial No. 184,247

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to a method of locating and holding inplace, one metal member in relation to a second metal member.

Specifically the invention relates to a method of locating and holdingin place one metal member in relation to a second metal member so thatboth members will become for all intents and purposes a temporaryunitary structure which may be handled or moved about for subsequentfabricating operations without danger of the members shifting theirrelative positions prior to permanently securing the two together.

The object of the invention is to provide a method of locating areinforcing metal member whereby the reinforcing member is located andheld in place in relation to the reinforced member for subsequentfabricating operations whereby the two members are held together untilsubsequently permanently secured together, a

the metal of the reinforcing member 3 be deformed so that the inneredges of the tabs and the inner edges of the apertures with which theyregister abut one another. It is feasible, however, to dispose the tabsin their respective apertures 2 so that they do not necessarily abut theends of the apertures but are disposed fairly loosely therein. Likewise,the tabs are of a width just sufficient to permit the tabs to fit withinthe apertures.

After the fiat metal stock of the side bar has been pierced to providethe requisite number of apertures 2, and the metal stock of thereinforcing member has been provided with properly spaced and locatedtabs 4, the two members are placed in relationship to one another asshown in Fig. 2, in other words member 3 is placed on the member i withtabs 4 bearing against or adjacent 1e inner edge of apertures 2. Theymay then method in which an additional operation of be placed in aforming machine such as a press either welding or riveting becomesunnecessary having a. mandrel 5 and a die 6. As the mandrel to pin themembers together, and a method is caused to descend the blanks I .and 3are which is relatively inexpensive to practice. formed to the channelconfiguration shown in A preferred embodiment of the invention will Fig.3. be described as it may be carried out in relation As the mandrel 5descends progressively into to reinforcing a critical area of a side barfor a the die the outer member I will be made to travel passenger car ortruck. a greater distance into the die cavity than mem- In the drawing:ber 2. This will cause the position of the tabs 4 Figure 1 is aperspective view of a portion of a to shift in the apertures 2 so thatat the compleside bar for an automotive vehicle reinforced in w tion ofthe stroke of the mandrel the tabs 4 will accordance with method of theinvention; have shifted from one edge of the apertures 2 to Fig. 2 isatransverse sectional view of the reinthe opposite edges of theapertures where they forcing member and the reinforced member prior willbe held tightly thereagainst, thereby resultto performing one step ofthe method of the ing inaunitary structure in that neither memberinvention; and will be able to shift its position relative to the 3 is atransverse Sectional V o the other while being moved about forsubsequent joined members after completion of the method. fabricatingoperation In accordance with the invention side bar I is h abovedescribed invention provide 1 p ovidcd wit a plurality of Spacedelongated tively quick and inexpensive method for posip s 2 Which y bemade, for example, as tively locating and holding reinforcing members yp c a flat metal blank O a W h Su l adjacent members that are to bereinforced so 130 be formed 111130 a side ball. It Will be noted that,the members may be positively positioned that the width of theapertures, as seen in Fig. 1, relative to one another during anysubsequent is just sumcient to accommodate a tab of the fabricatingsteps. reinforcing member as will be explained later. Variousembodiments of the invention may be Reinforcing member 3 is providedwith a pluemployed within the scope of the following rality of tabs orprojections 4 which may be claims. formed from member 3 as by partiallypiercing I l i the member so that the proj c i 4 eXteIld 1. The methodof positioning and holding one therefrom. In the event that the stock ofthe metal member with respect to a second metal reinforcing member 3 issufliciently light the promember which comprises providing one memberjections may be formed by extrusion. with a plurality of spacedelongated apertures,

labs 4 are spaced according to the spacing of providing the secondmember with a plurality of apertures 2 so that they may register withthe depending tab members formed from said second latter. In forming thetabs it is preferable that member and spaced to conform with saidapertures, said tab members having a lesser longitudinal dimension thansaid elongated apertures, disposing one member in relation to the secondmember so that the inner edges of said tabs abut the inner edges of theapertures, and deforming said members causing a shifting of said tabs insaid apertures so that the opposite edges of the tabs and the aperturesabut one another.

2. The method of positioning and holding one metal member with respectto a second metal member which comprises providing one member with aplurality of spaced elongated apertures, providing the second memberwith a plurality of depending tab members formed from said second memberand spaced to conform With said apertures, said tab members having onelesser dimension than said elongated apertures, disposing said tabs insaid apertures so that the inner edges of the tabs and the aperturesabut one another, and deforming said members to cause a shifting of saidtabs in said apertures so that the outer edges of the tabs and theapertures abut.

3. The method of positioning and holding one metal member with respectto a second metal member for subsequent fabrication operations whichcomprises providing a plurality of spaced elongated apertures in onemember, deforming the second member to provide a plurality of tabsprojecting from one surface of said member and spaced to conform withthe apertures of the other member, said tabs having lesser longitudinalbreadth than said apertures, disposing the tabs in said apertures sothat the inner edges of the tabs and apertures abut, and die formingsaid members simultaneously in a manner to cause greater deformation ofone member than the other member to thereby permit said tabs to shiftlongitudinally of said apertures to a position opposite their initialdisposition to cause said members to interlock.

1. The method of positioning and holding one metal member with respectto a second metal member for subsequent fabrication operations whichcomprises providing a plurality of spaced elongated apertures in onemember, deforming the second member to provide a plurality of tabsprojecting from one surface of said member and spaced to conform withthe apertures of the other member, said tabs having a lesserlongitudinal dimension than said elongated apertures, disposing the tabsin said apertures so that the inner edges of the tabs and, aperturesabut, and causing the center portions of said members to be deformedsimultaneously in the same direction to thereby shift the tabslongitudinally of said 4 apertures to the opposite edges thereof andinterlock said members.

5. The method of positioning and holding one metal member with respectto a second metal member for subsequent fabrication operations whichcomprises providing a plurality of spaced elongated apertures in onemember, deforming the second member to provide a plurality of tabsprojecting from one surface of said member and spaced to conform withthe apertures of the other member, said tabs having a lesserlongitudinal breadth than said elongated apertures, disposing the tabsin said apertures so that the inner edges of the tabs and apertures aredisposedv adjacent one another, and causing relative movement betweensaid members to cause the tabs so move longitudinally of said aperturesuntil the outer edges of the tabs and apertures abut to thereby preventshifting of one member relative to the other.

6. The method of positioning and holding one metal member with respectto a second metal member for subsequent fabrication operations whichcomprises providing a plurality of spaced elongated apertures in onemember, deforming the second member to provide a plurality of tabsprojecting from one surface of said member and spaced to conform withthe apertures of the other member, said tabs having a lesserlongitudinal breadth than said elongated apertures, disposing the tabsin said apertures so that the inner edges of the tabs and apertures aredisposed adjacent one another, and deforming the members simultaneouslyinto channel shape in which the webs thereof are disposed normal to thebody whereby said tabs shift longitudinally of said apertures to aposition opposite their initial disposition to cause said members tobecome interlocked.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 246,232 Spencer Aug. 23, 1881 1,294,882 Dilks Feb. 18, 19191,766,955 Scull, Jr. June 2 1, 1930 1,812,151 Jacocks June 30, 19312,012,889 McIntyre Aug. 2'7, 1935 2,197,191 Nichols et a1 Aug. 16, 19402,226,819 Jeffries Dec. 31, 19 10 2,259,742 Edison Oct. 21, 19412,467,867 Somerville Apr. 19, 1949 2,486,220 Somerville Oct. 25, 1949

